aboutsummaryrefslogtreecommitdiffstats
path: root/Documentation/dell_rbu.txt
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
authorJeff Garzik <jgarzik@pobox.com>2005-10-13 21:23:44 -0400
committerJeff Garzik <jgarzik@pobox.com>2005-10-13 21:23:44 -0400
commitdd4efa44ebf2a8a0e5edf60a53eadec981b4b10a (patch)
treedd6e750c3e7228abb1f922de240b86d7d12d14bf /Documentation/dell_rbu.txt
parent1a04392bd6439876b1552793389cbb5be356ea54 (diff)
parent046d20b73960b7a2474b6d5e920d54c3fd7c23fe (diff)
Merge branch 'master'
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/dell_rbu.txt')
-rw-r--r--Documentation/dell_rbu.txt38
1 files changed, 28 insertions, 10 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/dell_rbu.txt b/Documentation/dell_rbu.txt
index 95d7f62e4dbc..941343a7a265 100644
--- a/Documentation/dell_rbu.txt
+++ b/Documentation/dell_rbu.txt
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ The driver load creates the following directories under the /sys file system.
35/sys/class/firmware/dell_rbu/data 35/sys/class/firmware/dell_rbu/data
36/sys/devices/platform/dell_rbu/image_type 36/sys/devices/platform/dell_rbu/image_type
37/sys/devices/platform/dell_rbu/data 37/sys/devices/platform/dell_rbu/data
38/sys/devices/platform/dell_rbu/packet_size
38 39
39The driver supports two types of update mechanism; monolithic and packetized. 40The driver supports two types of update mechanism; monolithic and packetized.
40These update mechanism depends upon the BIOS currently running on the system. 41These update mechanism depends upon the BIOS currently running on the system.
@@ -47,8 +48,26 @@ By default the driver uses monolithic memory for the update type. This can be
47changed to packets during the driver load time by specifying the load 48changed to packets during the driver load time by specifying the load
48parameter image_type=packet. This can also be changed later as below 49parameter image_type=packet. This can also be changed later as below
49echo packet > /sys/devices/platform/dell_rbu/image_type 50echo packet > /sys/devices/platform/dell_rbu/image_type
50Also echoing either mono ,packet or init in to image_type will free up the 51
51memory allocated by the driver. 52In packet update mode the packet size has to be given before any packets can
53be downloaded. It is done as below
54echo XXXX > /sys/devices/platform/dell_rbu/packet_size
55In the packet update mechanism, the user neesd to create a new file having
56packets of data arranged back to back. It can be done as follows
57The user creates packets header, gets the chunk of the BIOS image and
58placs it next to the packetheader; now, the packetheader + BIOS image chunk
59added to geather should match the specified packet_size. This makes one
60packet, the user needs to create more such packets out of the entire BIOS
61image file and then arrange all these packets back to back in to one single
62file.
63This file is then copied to /sys/class/firmware/dell_rbu/data.
64Once this file gets to the driver, the driver extracts packet_size data from
65the file and spreads it accross the physical memory in contiguous packet_sized
66space.
67This method makes sure that all the packets get to the driver in a single operation.
68
69In monolithic update the user simply get the BIOS image (.hdr file) and copies
70to the data file as is without any change to the BIOS image itself.
52 71
53Do the steps below to download the BIOS image. 72Do the steps below to download the BIOS image.
541) echo 1 > /sys/class/firmware/dell_rbu/loading 731) echo 1 > /sys/class/firmware/dell_rbu/loading
@@ -58,7 +77,10 @@ Do the steps below to download the BIOS image.
58The /sys/class/firmware/dell_rbu/ entries will remain till the following is 77The /sys/class/firmware/dell_rbu/ entries will remain till the following is
59done. 78done.
60echo -1 > /sys/class/firmware/dell_rbu/loading. 79echo -1 > /sys/class/firmware/dell_rbu/loading.
61Until this step is completed the drivr cannot be unloaded. 80Until this step is completed the driver cannot be unloaded.
81Also echoing either mono ,packet or init in to image_type will free up the
82memory allocated by the driver.
83
62If an user by accident executes steps 1 and 3 above without executing step 2; 84If an user by accident executes steps 1 and 3 above without executing step 2;
63it will make the /sys/class/firmware/dell_rbu/ entries to disappear. 85it will make the /sys/class/firmware/dell_rbu/ entries to disappear.
64The entries can be recreated by doing the following 86The entries can be recreated by doing the following
@@ -66,15 +88,11 @@ echo init > /sys/devices/platform/dell_rbu/image_type
66NOTE: echoing init in image_type does not change it original value. 88NOTE: echoing init in image_type does not change it original value.
67 89
68Also the driver provides /sys/devices/platform/dell_rbu/data readonly file to 90Also the driver provides /sys/devices/platform/dell_rbu/data readonly file to
69read back the image downloaded. This is useful in case of packet update 91read back the image downloaded.
70mechanism where the above steps 1,2,3 will repeated for every packet.
71By reading the /sys/devices/platform/dell_rbu/data file all packet data
72downloaded can be verified in a single file.
73The packets are arranged in this file one after the other in a FIFO order.
74 92
75NOTE: 93NOTE:
76This driver requires a patch for firmware_class.c which has the addition 94This driver requires a patch for firmware_class.c which has the modified
77of request_firmware_nowait_nohotplug function to wortk 95request_firmware_nowait function.
78Also after updating the BIOS image an user mdoe application neeeds to execute 96Also after updating the BIOS image an user mdoe application neeeds to execute
79code which message the BIOS update request to the BIOS. So on the next reboot 97code which message the BIOS update request to the BIOS. So on the next reboot
80the BIOS knows about the new image downloaded and it updates it self. 98the BIOS knows about the new image downloaded and it updates it self.